Official GIGABYTE Forum
Questions about GIGABYTE products => Motherboards with AMD processors => Topic started by: jeggsy on November 21, 2010, 07:38:59 pm
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Just built myself a new system and having problems with it.
It's the following spec:-
Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3 (Ver 1.4)
AMD Athlon II X2 265 with retail HSF
2x 1Gb 1333 Kingston HyperX DDR3
550w Antec Basiq PSU
PNY Geforce 9800GT
Coolermaster Centurian 5 II case
The system build went fine but the problems started when I got to power on.
It booted OK several times at first. I went into the bios to make sure everything was recognised OK which it was. Memory, HD's, CPU, etc all detected fine. CPU temperature was about 30'C. I left it running for about 5 minutes as I was digging out my Windows CD and then went to reboot it to start installing Windows but the system won't boot properly now.
All that happens now is the fans spin up on the CPU, Case, & VGA card. The HD's spin up. I get no beeps and no VGA display.
I've tried taking out memory, VGA card, HD's etc but still get no beeps and still won't POST. All the power cables are in (24 pin and 8 pin sockets). I've tried reseating the CPU. Tested VGA card in another PC and that's OK.
Reset the bios by using the jumper in the clear bios pins but that made no difference. Removed bios battery for 30 minutes and that made no difference.
The thing that worries me is that I hear no beeps at all now. Originally it beeped during POST when it worked to start with. I get no beeps with memory out, VGA out etc.
What do you guys think ? ? faulty motherboard ? ?
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Well firstly welcome to the Forum.
Bad luck that. Everything working fine until you turn on the power ;)
All joking apart it sounds like everyhting was ok to start with and then after a while something happened. Usually that would make me think of overheating somewhere. The first place to check if you are using the stock cooler is to make sure all the connections are firm and it is seated properly with the fan turning as normal. Make sure everything feels cool to the touch.
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Thanks for the reply....
Thought of that straight away. The CPU heatsink was pretty cool to the touch.
That's the strange thing to me... It was all working to start with.
It just seems that what ever I change or do, the result is the same with no POST, beeps, display.
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Are the case fans, cpu fan, PSU fan, etc all working?
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Yep all fans spin up on CPU, VGA, case. The HD's spin up as well. The DVD drive tray works as well.
What I have noticed is that once you powered the system up, you have to hold the power button in for a while to power it off again. It's only done this since this boot issue.
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The holding the power button in to shut down is just a BIOS setting.
I would suggest we start off by clearing the CMOS and loading the Optimised BIOS Defaults. That will put us back on a level playing field to start with. Make any other changes like the boot order and disabling the floppy drive to suit yourself and then press F10 to save and exit.
We'll work through the rest tomorrow.
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Thought of that straight away. The CPU heatsink was pretty cool to the touch.
I think I would be more comfortable if the heatsink was a bit warm..That would mean theres heat transfer from the CPU to the Heat sink..
I know this sounds a bit strange but it makes sense to me..
Goodluck
jolphil
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Thought of that straight away. The CPU heatsink was pretty cool to the touch.
I think I would be more comfortable if the heatsink was a bit warm..That would mean theres heat transfer from the CPU to the Heat sink..
I know this sounds a bit strange but it makes sense to me..
Good point but if the OP has only had it on for a short time it might not be that different.
Jeggsy, when you installed the heatsink did you have to remove any plastic cover on the thrermal paste underneath?
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The holding the power button in to shut down is just a BIOS setting.
I would suggest we start off by clearing the CMOS and loading the Optimised BIOS Defaults. That will put us back on a level playing field to start with. Make any other changes like the boot order and disabling the floppy drive to suit yourself and then press F10 to save and exit.
We'll work through the rest tomorrow.
Can't get into the bios. The PC doesn't get that far when booting up.
I have tried reseting the bios using the jumper and also removing the battery for about 30 minutes all without sucess. All I get is the fans spinning up and nothing else. The VGA doesn't get a signal from the computer either as the light just flashes on my monitor.
Still get a sneaky feeling it's a dead motherboard.
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Thought of that straight away. The CPU heatsink was pretty cool to the touch.
I think I would be more comfortable if the heatsink was a bit warm..That would mean theres heat transfer from the CPU to the Heat sink..
I know this sounds a bit strange but it makes sense to me..
Goodluck
jolphil
The Heatsink was warm but not overly warm but then the PC wasn't on that long really.
I had checked in the bios and the CPU temperature was about 30'C and the CPU fan was spinning.
There was no covering on the underside of the heatsink/fan. I double-checked this when I re-installed the CPU. This was confirmed as there was a smearing of thermal compound on the CPU as well as the heatsink.
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Well it could be a faulty CPU, motherboard or PSU.
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I'm going to speak to the supplier and see if I can get the CPU and motherboard RMA'ed.
I can get another PSU from work to test.
I did have a thought.......
The motherboard was a Rev 1.4 board with F7 bios. Apparently this version board needs F8 bios to accept the new AMD Athlon X2 265 CPU.
When the board booted originally it picked up the CPU OK speed wise and voltage wise.
This wouldn't cause an issue would it ? ?
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Hi there,
Yes, that could well be the problem, if the board is running an older BIOS than your CPU needs.
As you can't get into BIOS you might not be able to update it without access to a compatible CPU. If you point this out to your supplier they might be able to RMA the motherboard and flash it with the latest BIOS for you.
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Hi Again,
It might be a good thing to check the system out of the case laying it out on a table before sending it back..It won't cost you much time and just might reveal an installation problem ie: something grounding, or shorted to the case..
Worth a try,
goodluck, :)
jolphil
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Good point jolphil.
These kind of things can be caused by the motherboard not being fitted properly inside the PC case or an odd screw or stand-off lying underneath it causing such problems.
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Just to let you know, I have spoke to the company that I bought the parts from and they have agreed to RMA the motherboard and CPU.
I have mentioned about the bios revisions/Athlon 265 support when I raised the RMA request.
I'll keep you posted of any news.
This forum and helpfulnes is just one of the reason I always use Gigabyte motherboards in any system build. Great products !
Typing this out on a GA-EP45-UD3P now as I type ! !
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Right guys.... latest news.
Aparantly the motherboard & CPU were fine when the company tested them after I had them RMA'ed. They have updated the bios to the latest F8 relase as well.
In the mean time I have sourced another new Antec 550w PSU of the same type.
Put it all in the case this evening... Powered the system up and I get the same thing as before with no boot ??? ???
Case fans, PSU fans, CPU fans spin up. Hard drives and DVD drives power up but still no boot from the system. There's no beeps and the monitor does not kick-in.
HELP ! !
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I have found that quite a lot of these companies say they have tested the components when in actual fact they haven't . Some don't even have the fascilities but just use it as a ploy to get rid of the customer. I don't know if this is applicable in your case but it does go on.
It might be worth asking the retailer what hardware they tested it with and see if that helps at all.
I know it is a pain but can you take it out of the case again and do the most basics of setups.
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Just spoke to the company and they have assured me it was tested fine. They said it was definetly working as they upgraded the bios as well.
They sent me a list of the components they tested with:-
780w Tagan PSU.
EVGA GTX460 VGA.
1600Mhz Corsair (Dual Channel)
I'm going to try a different VGA card and I have some different memory just as a test.
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hi if you get the same result after you change the graphics card your next step would be memory
I would suggest removing one stick of ram and trying it then change the stick of ram for the other and trying it it could just be a faulty stick of memory
hope this helps
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Right guys.... progress :D
Managed to get my hands on some old ATI Radeon X1300 and Geforce 6200 PCE-E VGA cards to try. Thought as their older, less power draw in case of it being a PSU issue. Tried these with no succses.
Also managed to find some more DDR3 memory. Again, no succses.
Cleared the bios etc and still no go.
Looking at the PC at this stage, the only things connected are 1 stick memory, VGA card, case power connection and PSU.
Removed case power connection, shorted it using a spare jumper and beep, system POSTS.... Bios screen.... looking for boot device ! :) :) :)
Now the only problem being is trying to sort out why the case power switch doesn't wotk with this motherboard.
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Yes we should have covered that really. It could well be that the switch is just crap and not working electrically. Still it's a nice easy fix and not expensive either. ;) Just double check that you have got it plugged into the correct place in the Front Panel Connector on the motherboard.
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Spoke too soon.... it won't POST again now.
Had it sat next to me running whilst I typed the above, rebooted and now it won't POST again.
This is getting weirder by the day !
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Well I still can't get it to post.
Not changed anything on it since it booted earlier.
Tried shorting the reset pins with the PC going but that does nothing.
Really pulling my hair out with this !
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I don't know if it will help but you can try this. It will overwrite the Main BIOS with the Backup BIOS.
You can kick in the backup BIOS by shutting down the PSU from the wall, then hold down your case power button in and then turn on the power supply button, a few seconds later the board will start, shut off the power supply then.
Then you can turn on the power supply again and power up the board normally and DualBIOS will kick in.
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Sounds like my issue, though mine turned out to be a combo PSU and the NB heatsink.
Link with my issue.
http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,3812.0.html
Not sure if I got the PSU bad or the something caused it to short but it wasn't obvious till I swapped PSU's. Couldn't get into bios. Video card only worked on the 2nd PCI-E card, ethernet was down.
Also try the video card in the 2nd PCI-E slot.
Good luck on your comp though.
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Yes it is suprising how many problems are eventually laid at the feet of PSUs. :o
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Right guys progress report
On Christmas eve I got playing with the system and took the motherboard out of the case. Put the motherboard on the cardboard box it came in with just the memory and VGA card. Shorted the power jumpers and it POSTED fine.
Put back in the case and no POST.
Looked at the area where the motherboard sits and nothing would be touching/fouling the motherboard etc. Swapped out the brass motherboard feet and screws for some spare ones I had. Replaced the motherboard and it POSTED fine.
Done several reboots, power off etc and still fine. Left running for an hour or so and still fine.
After all the Christmas palava, I managed to have a few spare hours with it again last night....
Started fine, inserted my Windows XP CD, done a full and proper format on the 500Gb SATA C:\, installed Windows XP. Again, done a full proper format on the other 500Gb SATA D:\. Installed .net Framework 1,2 & 3. Installed all the drivers including LAN, Chipset, VGA. The system had been fine all through this which was about 3 hours of runninng when I had more problems. It was absolutley flying !
The PC on the next reboot would not start up. I had no display but I had 4 long beeps from the BIOS. If I restarted the system that is all I got.
Googled up the 4 bios beeps and it was suggested either memory or VGA issues. I replaced the memory and VGA card with the spare I had from the other day and now I get no POST & no beeps. It's gone back to doing what it was the other day. Put the original VGA card and memory back in but still nothing.
I can't understand how it worked fine for 3 hours with no problems and then all of a sudden nothing.
This is doing my head in !
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What happens if you remove the graphics card and try and boot?
Does the system try and then emit a beep code (assuming you have a buzzer installed) ?
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If you try with no VGA card and/or no memory then you still get the same problem... all fans spin, dvd's & hard drives power up but no POST & no beeps with no display.
Tried the ATI X1300 and Geforce 6200 PCI-e's in there with the same result.
Tried the different memory in it with the same result. Even tried it in all the memory slots just in case.
Cleared the bios but this made no difference.
Nothing.... This just seems completely dead now.
In all my years of computing I've never come across anything like this.... It still amazes me that it worked so well for over 3 hours and then has just stopped again for no good reason.
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Have you checked that your PSU is functioning properly.
I built a PC for a friend and he came back to me with similar problems and it turned out to be a faulty PSU.
I replaced it with a different PSU only for the problem to re-appear a couple of days later. Luckily the 3rd PSU has been OK and he has had no further trouble.
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Yes, I too would suspect the PSU as giving the problem. But if you are going to replace it make sure that you get a good quality one with a single 12V rail of about 700W
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I had swapped the PSU earlier when I first started having problems. It was swapped with another Antec 550w of the same model.
Surely this PSU would be providing enough watts/amps for this system ?
I know Antec isn't the best make of PSU on the market but surley it should be good enough for this ?
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Yes I agree that your PSU should be adequate but I had to RMA two PSU's as they were both faulty before I got one that was working properly.
If you have a voltmeter you can test what power you are getting through each of the connectors to eliminate the PSU as the cause of your problems but that is the first place I would be looking, especially reagrding the symptoms your PC is having.
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right guys... an update.
Left it a few days and been thinking about this problem. I might get hold of a new Corsair TX 650w PSU and some Corsair DDR3 memory for the board whilst In the meantime, I'll try and get the old motherboard RMA'ed just to be sure.
The Corsair memory is the type that is on the approved list of the Gigabyte motherboard list.
Do you guys think that the Corsair TX 650w PSU will be fine ? ? It's got more juice that the original Antec. Read many reviews about the PSU and all look good.
Anybody used this PSU on one of these motherboards ? ?
Was trying to build this system on a resonable budget but still using fairly descent components, Antec, kingston etc. but I'm starting to think it may be worth spending a bit extra and get some higher spec/quality components like Corsair just to be sure.
What you guys think ? ?
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There are many people running the Corsair TX650 on Gigabyte boards so I don't see why there should be a problem with yours. They are good PSUs and I use a Corsair HX850 myself.
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I'm not sure I understand it all but it'd seem to me that it's either your PSU, RAM or your case. Have you tried taking the MB out again and trying to run it like that?
As for the Corsair PSU - it's just like in the reviews. It's a good one for the money but does run a little hot. From what I heard it's not a problem, though. Generally, it should be far more than enough for your system. Mind you, it has a lot of cables that can be quite hard to hide.
I have never heard of a PSU - motherboard compatibility issue ;)
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bytheway_r ...where have you beeen hiding? ;) There have been many such cases on the forum especially a few months ago. It was new to me also at the time.
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I got caught, eh? ;)
Took it easy over the holidays and New Year's as I'm spending enough time in front of the PC as it is ;D. As for PC problems - let's not forget my moody wall socket that tends to fail me every now and then. I hope it won't give up on me altogether if I buy an even more power hungry GPU someday :P.
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You are going to have to get that wiring in your house fixed sometime before you blow yourself and computer up :o
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Not my house so I can't really do a whole lot about it. Maybe I'll get my hands on a 4870x2 or GTX 295 if I'll be able to find a good deal and then we'll see. I hope I won't burn anything out ;D.
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Not actually used the Corsair 650 on the GA-MA770T-UD3 but I am using a Corsair 620Watt Modular PSU on my current system of the GA-890FXA-UD5, Phenom ii X6 1090T (O/C to 3.8GHz), Sapphire 4850X2 Graphics Card plus 4 HDD's and a DVD/CD writer without any issues.
I do tend to abuse my kit with all of the testing and reconfiguring that I do but the Corsair PSU I have has been a solid investment and well worth the money paid for it.
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The trouble is absic as with all these things specs can change and all these resellers of PSUs only buy them in from the manufacturers. Sometimes from one and sometimes from another. I must say though that I have always found Corsair to be excellent models whoever the manufacturer.
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Just to double-check guys:-
This Corsair memory - TWIN3X2048-1333C9DHX 2x 1Gb XMS3 DDR3 modules are compatible with the GA-MA770T-UD3 motherboard. I have double-checked on the Corsair site and it's listed as compatible.
The approved memory list for this motherboard on the Gigabyte site has Corsair 1333C9DHX listed which I pressume is the same type.
I'm going to order this memory and the Corsair 650w TX PSU in the next day or two and see what this brings.
I'm talking with the company I got the motherboard off to see what they say about RMA'ing it to be on the safe side.